Bob Hastings
| death_place = Burbank, California | occupation = Character/voice actor | yearsactive = 1936 to 2010 | spouse = Joan Rice-Hastings (m.1940s – 2014) | series = I Dream of Jeannie | character = Homer Banks (Amanda Bellows' cousin) | episodes = "Have You Heard the One About the Used Car Salesman?" in Season 4 }} Robert "Bob" Hastings made a guest appearance on I Dream of Jeannie as Homer Banks, the cousin of Amanda Bellows, Dr. Bellows' wife, who becomes smitten with Jeannie in the episode "Have You Heard the One About the Used Car Salesman?" in Season 4. A respected film, radio, and television character actor, Hastings also provided voices for video game and numerous animated cartoon characters. He is perhaps best known to TV sitcom viewers as Tommy Kelsey, the owner of Kelsey's Bar on CBS-TV's All in the Family in seasons 1-6 of that series. Biography Early life and career Hastings was born 18 April 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, a son of Charles and Hazel Hastings, Sr. His father was a salesman.Bob Hastings Biography (1925-) Hastings started in radio on "Coast-to-Coast on a Bus" ([NBC). After serving in World War II as a navigator on B-29s, he played the role of Archie Andrews in a series based on the Archie comic book series on the NBC Red Network, later just the NBC Radio Network, after NBC divested itself of its Blue Network in 1942. Archie Andrews was sponsored by Swift & Company food products. Hastings later moved to television in 1949, performing in early science-fiction series, including Atom Squad. His first recurring role was as a lieutenant on Phil Silvers' show Sergeant Bilko in the late 1950s. 1960s-1970s Most of his career was spent in television, including two episodes on Green Acres as an Air Force officer and a sheriff respectively. Also Hastings is remembered for roles including Captain Binghamton's aide, yes-man Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy called "Carpy" and "Little Leadbottom" by McHale and his men, and Captain Ramsey on General Hospital. He was also the voice of the Raven on some of the episodes of The Munsters. He was briefly the host of the game show Dealer's Choice, and had a recurring role as bar owner Tommy Kelsey on All in the Family. After McHale's Navy, Hastings was a regular on the Universal Studios lot, where Universal paid actors during downtime to be on the grounds and talk to tourists. According to an interview on Time Travel Radio,http://www.timetravelispossible.com Time Travel Radio he got along so well with the people that he became one of the few regulars on the tour. Hastings played Cousin Phantom of the Opera in the TV movie The Munsters Revenge. Hastings was in the 1968 Universal film Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? starring Bob Denver. Hastings was in the 1971 comedy movie How To Frame A Figg, starring Don Knotts. Hastings also was in the movie Harper Valley P.T.A. in which he played Skeeter Duggan, a member of the PTA board who had been kidnapped at the orders of its dishonest president to commit election fraud. In 1967, Hastings recorded an LP for Home Records Inc. entitled Bob Hastings Sings For The Family (HR-101), with 12 songs arranged and conducted by Bob Caudana. Voice-over work Hastings has also done voice work for animation and commercials, including Beany on Beany and Cecil, The Raven on the Munsters series, Superboy in the The New Adventures of Superman cartoons of the 1960s, D.D. on Hanna-Barbera's Clue Club, and the voice of Commissioner Jim Gordon in the popular Batman: The Animated Series and its various spinoffs in the DC animated universe, such as Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures and several Batman video games. His earlier work in animation included doing the voice Henry Glopp on Hanna-Barbera's animated series Jeannie in 1973 and additional voices on Challenge of the Superfriends. Personal and later life Hastings was the brother of longtime As the World Turns soap opera star Don Hastings. He was married to wife Joan (Rice) Hastings for over 60 years and had four children, ten grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. He continued to tour the country as a participant in various Old-Time Radio Conventions, reading scripts for such shows as Archie Andrews and The Bickersons. He appeared at the 2010 Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Convention, the Old Time Radio Showcase 2010 in Bellevue, Washington in June, and at the Friends of Old Time Radio Convention in Newark, NJ in October 2010. Death Hastings died 30 June 2014 in Burbank, CA at age 89 from prostate cancer. References External links * *Bob Hastings interview http://www.cinemaspy.com/Interviews/Interview-Bob-Hastings/2815 Category:Actors Category:Guest stars Category:Real People Category:I Dream of Jeannie